Type-writing-machine ribbon feeding and operating mechanism.



J. ALEXANDER. HlNE RIBBON FEEDING AND OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 4, 1912.

TYPE WRITING MAG J. ALEXANDER. TYPE WRITING MAGEINB RIBBON FEEDING ANDOPERATING MECHANISM,

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 4, 1912.

Patented Oct. 28 1913 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

zands'z',

J. ALEXANDER.

TYPE WRITING MAGHINE RIBBON FEEDING AND OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATIONFILED NOV. 4, 1912.

asses ALEXANDER,

rain srarrs Parana @FFTCE. 1

or new storm, r nss'ielvoa or ONE-HALF frofnseensir w.

LITTLE, or new YORK, N. z.

mewsmaemcsms meson FEEDING Aim OPERATING 'oHAivIsm.

actress.

My invention relates particularly to mechanism adapted for use in afront stroke 011's to correspond with the changes of height backwardrotation during or visible writing machine.

The main object isto provide asimple and readily operable mechanism forfeeding the ribbon "step by step across mainframe of the platen, raisingand lowering the ribboa at the printing point and reversing thedirection of feed of the ribbon when desired-and varying the lift of theribbon so of the printing type.

In the form of mechanism shown the operation is effected by the type baroperating the universal bar. Two ribbon spools are removably mounted on-opposite sides of. the machine and retained in position by a springpressed frame which also aifords frictional 1etardatio'n. These ribbonspools are mounted on the shafts of horizontal ratchets which areadapted to be rotated step by step by spring pressed pawls. S ringretaining pawls are also provided or preventing the feeding stroke. Theribbon is guided at the print ing point by a'vertical moving 'guide. Theheight of this vertical movement is variable with the shifting of theplaten. Both of the feeding pawls and the ribbon lifting deviceare-connccted to the universal bar and operate intermittently therewith.The support for the lifting device is carried by a part of the platenshifting mechanism so as to vary the lift of the ribbon guide. Thedirection of feed of the ribbon may be reversed by a laterally shiftingbar having cam surfaces for retracting one or the other of the feedingretaining pawl.

Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view of a machine embodying myinvention showing the parts in their normal position of rest this viewbeing taken on a. plane principally at the right of the right-handshiftkey lever in Fig. 3. Fig. 2, is a fragmentary scc-" tional viewshowing the parts in the print- Specification of Letters I Patent.flpplication filed November 4, 191a. swarm. macaw.

retard the rotation of the spool holding pawls and the correspondingPatented ems, i913.

ing position certain of the parts being 0mitted to render ,the operationclearer. Fig. 3, IS a plan view. Fig. 4, is a rear View and partialsection. Fig. 5, is a vertical section'al view showing the method ofsupport- 6i) Fig. -6, is

ing, one of the ribbon spools. a detail view of one end of the ribbonreversing rod indicating how the feed pawl rests thereon and is directlyoperated thereby.

Fig. 7, is a perspective view showingthe 6:5

ribbon feeding pawls.

The ribbon 1, is wound from side to'side on spools 2, 2. Each spool ismounted to rotate with the upper end of the shaft 3 which has hearingsin the plate 4 and, a

on its lower end. A U-shaped 'ratchet 5 frame has a-pivot shaft 6 andtwo arms"? and 8. embrace the lower and upper faces of'the ribbon spool.The pivot shaft 6 of ttis frame is under tension of the spring} 7against the collar so as to press the arm 10 fixed to the shaft 3 andthus frictionall'y the shaft 3 and'the ribbon spool 2. The collar 10,beingfast upon thespool shaft 3, shaft in its bearing-w frame overstandsthe upper face of the spool and holds the spool in position. The framehowever, niayibe retracted by pressing on the extended por- =tion orfinger-piece of the lower arm 7 (see Fig. 3) so as to enable one toremove or re-' place the ribbon spool.

At the printing position the ribbon "is guided by a frame or yoke orguide '11 which 9 The type bar 12' is is vertically movable. I pivotedin the type bar segment 13 and adapted to operate the universal bar 14which is suspended at 15 from the swinging member l6.' A spring 17 isinterpiiscd be 9 screw 19 carried by the universal bar so'as to pressthe universal bar toward the back of the type bar segment. TheleverQO-piv-f otally supported at 21 has its front end 100 hingcd' tothe lower end of the ribbon guide 11 and its upper end hinged to'thelink 22 which i pivoted at 23 to the universal bar.

When the universal bar is moved to the rear the pivot 23 carries thelink and tilts the lever 20 about its pivot 21'so' as to lift. theribbon guide 11. lihen' the type Joar rebounds from the printingposition, the universal bar is released and the spring 17 forces itforward carrying with are serves to support the The upper arm 8 of tweenthe abutment 18 and the adjustable '1 22 to thc roar P5 it thepivot 23and link 22 and thus tilting the front end of the lever 29 downward anddropping the ribbon guide 11 from in front of the platen 24.

In order to vary the lifting-stroke of the guide 11 I support the pivot2l in the yoke 25 which depends from the bar 26 pivoted in the sides ofthe machine. This bar constitutes part of the platen shifting mechanismand has arms such as 27 connected to the platen shifting yoke 28.Opposite ends of the bar 26 have arms29, 29 at opposite sides of themachine connected to the shifting key levers 30, 30, the connectionbeing by a link such as 32. When a shift key lever is depressed, itdrawsdownward the link 32 and arm 29 and rocks the bar 26 and its dependingyoke 25 forwardly thus carrying forward the pivot 21. This lifts theribbon guide since the upper end of the lever 20 is at this timeconnected by the link 22 to the pivot 23 which is relatively stationary.Now when a type bar lever is depressed the ribbon guide is elevatedthrough the action of the universal bar and link 22 in the mannerpreviously described and this lifting movement being added to themovement which hasalready been given the ribbon guide through the mediumof the shift key and parts ust described causes the guide to be liftedan additional distance sufficient to;carry the ribbon up into positionfor prlnting in the upper case. The

guide may be locked in its upper position indirectly by locking one ofthe shifting key levers 80 as for'instance, by means of a spring pressedlatch 33 and a pin 3-1 projecting fromthc shift key lever.

The feeding is accomplished by pawls i0, 40 only one of which however,is adapted to operate at one time. Each pawl is hinged to an arm 41which extends upwardly from the shaft 4-2 and the latter is connected byan arm 43 to the universal bar -11. When the universal bar moves to therear it rocks the shaft 42 and moves the feeding pawls forward. When theuniversal bar returns, the pawls 40, 40 move to the rear and one or theother of them feeds its ratchet. A spring pressed retaining pawlA-t ismounted adjacent each of the feeding pawls 40 for preventing backwardrotation. The retaining pawl presses lightly on the top of the feedingpawl to assist in holding it against the ratchet. I,

In order to shift the direction of feed of the ribbon I provide alaterally shifting rod L5 which has cam surfaces at its ends such as 46and 47 on which the feeding pawls rest. When the bar is in position sothat the feeding pawl rests on the surface a7, the pawl is permitted 'toengage its ratchet and feed, the same. When the bar is shiftedlaterally, the surface 46 comes beneath the feeding pawl and lifts itaway from the ratchet. The cams on the opposite ends of the rod 45 areso designed that when one feeding pawl is disengaged from its ratchetthe other feeding pawl engages its ratchet and vice-versa. The liftingof a feeding pawl also lifts indirectly the corresponding retaining pawlthroughthe intervention of the feedlng pawl.

What I claim 1s:-

l. Ribbon feeding mechanismv comprising vertical ribbon shafts,horizontal ratchets carried thereby, a type bar segment in rear thereof,a horizontal shaft in rear of said segment having upwardly extendingarms,

yielding feeding pawls hinged to said arms,

a laterally shifting bar in rear of the type bar segment and having camsurfaces adapted by the shifting of the bar to be engaged directly withthe feeding pawls to disengage said pawls'from .said ratchets and springretaining pawls adapted to be retracted by said feeding pawls.

2. Ribbon feeding mechanism comprising a horizontal ratchet having teethon its upper face, a horizontally reciprocable feeding pawl coactingwith the teeth of said ratchet, and a spring pressed retaining pawlpressing down on said feeding pawl and having a tooth ed end extendingbeyond said feedlng pawl and into engagement with. said ratchet.

3. Ribbon feeding mechanism comprising a horizontal ratchet having teethon its up, per face, a horizontally reciprocable feeding pawl coactingwith the teeth of said ratchet, a spring pressed retaining pawl pressingdown on 'said feeding pawl and having a toothed and extending beyondsaid feeding pawl and into engagement with said ratchet and a shiftingbar for lifting said feeding pawl and thus causing said feeding pawl toretract said retaining pawl.

4. Ribbon'feeding mechanism. comprising horizontal ratchets having teethon their upper faces,horizontally reciprocable feeding pawls adapted torest upon the ratchets, means for reciprocating the feeding pawls,spring pressed retaining pawls bearing down upon the feeding pawls andhaving toothed ends adapted to extend into engagement with the ratchets,and a laterally shiftable bar having cam surfaces arranged upon theshifting of the bar, to be engaged with the feeding pawls to lift saidfeeding pawls and the retaining pawls which rest upon the feeding pawlsfrom engagement with the ratchets.

JESSE ALnXANmn-i.

Witnesses HERBERT W. LI'l'lLE, E. C. Doria.

